Sometimes those who are followers do not realize that they are blind. They truly and honestly believe that those who are leading them and teaching them are solid, knowledgeable, trustworthy persons. For a variety of reasons, followers often follow without verifying what they are being told. Sometimes that’s just easier. But, when it comes to our eternal salvation, do we want to put our trust in a man or in the God of heaven?
In Matthew 15, Jesus had one of His many encounters with the Pharisees—a Jewish sect who were revered for their (supposed) knowledge of and strict adherence to the Law of God. The Pharisees were the largest Jewish sect of Jesus’ day, with many followers. However, what the Pharisees adhered themselves to was their own traditions, not the Law of God. (Read the parallel verses in Mark 7:1-4.) Jesus called them, “Blind leaders of the blind.”
They were “blind leaders of the blind” because they would “break the commandment of God for the sake of [their] tradition” (15:3). Any group today who is more focused on their manmade traditions and doctrines than they are on carefully following the doctrine of Christ fall in this same category.
They were “blind leaders of the blind” because they changed the nature, focus and basis of “worship” of God (15:7-9). First of all, the focus of the worship was more on the outward than on the inward. “Their heart” was “far from” God, even though they looked, on the outside, like they were honoring Him. Second, the basis of their worship was “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men,” which made their worship “vain.” True worship is “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). When either or both of these elements is absent or misrepresented, the worship is not acceptable to God.
They were “blind leaders of the blind” because they “were offended” at the teaching of Jesus and His truth, rather than being convicted by it (15:12). When individuals are not concerned with “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), but only focus on their own wishes and traditions, they will be offended when Jesus’ truth is taught to them.
Look carefully at what Jesus said about those who are blind leaders and those who are their followers. “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted,” and “both will fall into a ditch” (15:13-14). Many denominations, human doctrines and manmade practices have been “planted,” which are “not according to Christ” (Col. 2:8). They may “seem right,” but their “end is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12). May God help us to not be a blind leader or a blind follower! Let us open our eyes to His one truth!